The Burning Stars: Tears of Fire
by The 85th Naruto
Summary: He's saved her from countless enemies, and won countless battles. But now, he's fighting his toughest opponent to date. Himself and his fears. Lucy knows she can save him from those, but will she be successful with evils lurking in the shadows. Can Lucy and the team save Natsu so that he can save them? Or will Fairy Tail burn? Join us and find out!
1. Begin Anew

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or it's surrounding universe. All characters, plots, themes, and ideas belong to Hiro Mashima, the creator.

A/N: "Speech" - " _Thought"_ \- " _Spells_ " - **Normal Emphasis** \- " _ **Thought Emphasis**_ "

Hey guys, so I've recently decided to undergo a few projects. Two crossovers in addition to the increasingly popular _Era of the Sixth_. This is strictly for Fairy Tail and an ideal opportunity to showcase my ability to write something on the other end of the dark and gruesome spectrum. Lighter, lovelier, and far more romantic. But I beg you do not flee, do not despair! For no Fairy Tail story is complete without the darkness for the light to shine through. That being said, the main concept here is to give an entirely different twist on matters. What I mean is, I've read a lot of great Fairy Tail fanfiction stories, particularly featuring Natsu and Lucy as a couple (I'm a sucker for it. Sorry.) That is what this story will also be, a featurette on Natsu and Lucy as a couple.

I must, however, warn you all as to what lies ahead. All the stories that I have read, great though they are, I find disappointed as Lucy is continuously being placed in harm's way or is the target of everything, leading to her being the "damsel in distress" for the ever powerful Natsu to come to the rescue. While I do enjoy these, I can't help but find these tales retelling the same main idea.

That said, you all now possess an idea of what the concept of this story is, but make no mistake. You have no idea of what is yet to come.

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" _Even if I can't see you….no matter how far away you may be….I will always be watching you."_

 _-Makarov_

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 _Episode 1: Begin Anew_

 _Season 1: Tears of Fire_

 _Series: The Burning Stars_

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 _***July 14th X791, Approx. 359 km Southwest of Magnolia - 11:26 AM***_

The half robe billowed behind a young man as he walked through a forest. Travelling with him were his companions, his closest friends. Natsu had managed to convince them to walk back to Magnolia following the Grand Magic Games. Natsu's winning speech was how it should be considered a vacation as they trekked home at a steady pace. Natsu, though, was not enjoying this vacation in the slightest. He could have been awarded for his performance in fooling his friends, or he, at least, believed he was. A blonde-haired celestial wizard, though, noticed there was something off about him. Natsu still laughed and smiled, but she could see that every time she looked into his eyes, the light that usually sparkled within them when he was truly happy, had been diminished. Lucy had never desired to know what was going through her partner's mind more than in this moment.

Natsu, for all his dragon slayer senses and abilities, failed to notice the worry that he was creating within his friends. Natsu himself was worried, for a myriad of reasons. Whether or not he would change into a dragon, how hungry he felt, and oh yes. Should Natsu lose any of his closest friends, would he end up like the Rogue from the future? This sobering thought plagued his mind more than the other two, for his understanding had been that changing into a dragon was not definitive, yet it still creeped him out. For once Natsu was less concerned about satiating his immense appetite, because the fear of losing his closest friends, Happy and Lucy, and turning into someone sinister who would willingly attack and destroy his friends truly haunted him. He failed to notice the looks that his six friends shared, so caught up was he in his horrors.

Lucy, Happy, Wendy, Carla, Erza and Gray knew something was off, but Erza insisted that they let Natsu open up to them, resulting in the celestial wizard of the group to glance at the wayward dragon slayer. She turned her attention back to the rest, her mind settled.

"I say when we get back to Magnolia we each try talking to Natsu, get him to open up." she whispered, knowing that it was futile because of their pink-haired friend.

"No Lucy, we have to let him come to us, otherwise we risk driving him away." came the whisper of Erza. "He needs time to get a handle on it. Whatever **it** is."

Lucy gave a huff, knowing Erza's mind was settled, she turned her attention to Gray and Wendy, her eyes begging them to agree.

"I dunno Erza, I kinda have to agree with Lucy on this one. Whatever's bugging that **hothead** seems like something he won't willingly share." muttered the ice mage, deliberately referring to Natsu as a hothead hoping to get a rise from him, but to no avail. He just kept marching forward, eyes focused on the earth just ahead of his feet. The wheels of his mind spinning and whirring as he thought and dwelled on terrifying fears. Wendy nodded her head in agreement as did Carla, and so Lucy turned her attention back to Erza, trying to hide a smirk as Lucy knew she had clearly won this round, until Happy chipped in, sorrow filling his normally boisterous tone.

"He didn't want to eat last night….or take me fishing…." came the mumble of the blue Exceed. This served to widen the eyes of the group, proving just how serious this was. It was then with a sigh that Erza nodded, but looked to the rest of them, instructions on how this would be handled flying from her lips.

"Very well, but not until we get back to Magnolia. We have three more days so maybe he will open up to us by that time."

Lucy's concern showed in the question she had in response to these details. "And if he doesn't?"

"Then we will have to coax him into opening to us, and of all of us I believe either Gray, Lucy, or Happy will be the ones who he'll open up to first."

Wendy couldn't help but feel disappointed as Erza spoke these words. Make no mistake, she was not overcome with any form of jealousy over Lucy, Gray, or Happy. Wendy did, however, wish that Natsu would be as liable to open to her as he would any of those present. Erza, noticing the downcast look that had crossed Wendy's features spoke once again, this time with cheering up the young dragon slayer.

"All of us should be prepared though, in case he chooses to open up to any of us. Right Wendy?"

Wendy's gaze snapped up to look at the smiling face of Erza, and she couldn't help but smile and nod in agreement, causing smiles to break out on the faces of those present, with the exception of Natsu of course.

Natsu wasn't sure what to do about his dilemma, whether or not he should stay with Fairy Tail and fight to protect them, or leave to keep them safe from what he **could** become. Natsu, who was typically decisive and sure-hearted, did not know what to do, and that thought terrified him more than any form of evil that he had faced to that day.

 _***Meanwhile - 936 km Southeast of Crocus on the shores of Fiore - Ancient Graveyard Ruins***_

Two men stood in what appeared to be a sort of mausoleum within the ruins. These men were not ordinary men, but were two wizards. The wizard to the right of the mausoleum wore charcoal gray sweat pants tucked into black combat boots. He wore a black jacket that zipped up to the bottom of his sternum, revealing a white shirt beneath said jacket. Over top of all of this the man had donned a black cloak that he had allowed to reveal his clothing as he simply had it wrapped about his shoulders. His eyes were of a strange magenta color that stood in stark contrast to his pale skin and black hair. Donning this magenta eyed man's left hand was a black glove. The man on his left wore black athletic shorts that reached just below his knees with simple black sandals upon his feet, similar to those of Natsu's. This man wore a muscle shirt that was also black, matching his shorts. Unlike his counterpart, he possessed eyes that were of a rich chocolate brown, stretching into his black hair that were in the form of dreadlocks that reached to the middle of his shoulder blades. This man's eyes seemed to match the complexion of his skin, dark as chocolate. About his shoulders too was a black cloak, while his right hand donned a white glove, similar to that of his magenta-eyed partner.

Before them appeared to be ancient glyphs etched upon the doors to said mausoleum. The man with the darker complexion stared at these glyphs for quite sometime, his eyes glazing over as he allowed his thoughts to drift off to his wayward son who had recently departed from their guild on the premise of some ridiculous notion that what he and his partner, who too was staring at the glyphs, albeit in wonder, were committing heinous crimes for the sake of power. What this dark skinned man had failed to convince his son of was that they needed to acquire this power so that they could rival the power of Zeref and Acnologia. All because of the boy's mother, whom he was so desperate to save. Yet his son insisted that his mother had resigned herself to her fate, having been told by many medical professionals, both wizards and ordinaries, that there was no way of saving her, no matter how much power they obtained. Yet this man continued on his quest to obtain all the power that he could so that his adored wife could be saved. Neither he, nor his partner, knew what these glyphs meant, nor could they translate them but they could guess at certain depictions, but refrained from these guesses being conclusive. They would need the help of Tool to be able to accurately depict and understand the meaning of these glyphs as well as what they believed to lie inside this mausoleum, something that had originally been believed to have been a mystic location in and of itself, let alone the power that be contained within the object that had been believed to have been sealed deep within the mausoleum before them.

The man's pale partner had thoughts that were similar only in terms of the desire for power, yet the use of that power was what greatly differed. The magenta eyed man had every intention of betraying his counterpart in order to claim this power for his own. It was a topic that had been discussed when the darker individual had approached him at first. He explained why he needed the power and the reason for which he had desired this power. The darker individual had explained that the power itself was too great for one person so the two of them would have to share it and use their combined power to save his wife. The magenta eyed individual agreed right away upon hearing the promise of power, but with the full intention of taking it for himself. Unfortunately, they would have to return to their guild in order to get Tool and bring him to this complex so that he could decipher the glyphs for them so that they could discern how to obtain the power and what they needed to be able to do so.

He turned to his darker friend, who turned to him in the same moment.

The darker man's deep voice ushered from his mouth as he spoke, "We need to go get Tool, I do not possess the ability to translate these glyphs."

The magenta eyed man nodded. His voice slightly higher than his partner's, but still quite deep. "Yes, but we also can't afford to leave this unguarded either. Will you stay and guard it, Espen, while I go and retrieve Tool?"

A curt nod was all he needed before a purple magic circle appeared beneath his magenta eyed friend and appeared to absorb him as he vanished. Espen merely shook his head, his black dreadlocks bouncing, as he turned back to the glyphs, hoping that Tool would arrive shortly.

Time was short, and Espen did not know how much longer his wife would be able to last.

 _***Northwestern Coast of Fiore - July 16th***_

He walked along the coast, for what may perhaps have been the millionth time in his long life. He had been hovering on the eastern side of the country trying to watch Natsu and decide when he could strike, but finally decided that Natsu wasn't quite there and decided that sitting and watching would make him impatient so he travelled west, under the idea of "a watched pot never boils." With that thought in mind he decided to wander once again, with the hopes that his brother would be able to surprise him when he returned and thus be capable of doing that which he had been in search of for hundreds of years. Something he had desired since he first used dark magic and had been placed under this curse. That which he had been in pursuit of and desired was what drove him to the creation of his demons, creatures he himself created so that he could achieve his goal, death.

He had desired that death even more passionately considering what had happened to the girl he had grown to care for. The girl he had repeatedly warned of the dangers of being close to him but she stubbornly told him, in no uncertain terms, that nobody deserved a life of solitude. Her simple caring had touched his heart that had only known despair for the past few centuries. In the time he had spent with her he had grown to love her and looked forward to returning to the newly created Fairy Tail from his journeys. It was one of those return journeys where he discovered the horrible fate that had befallen her, and once again his heart was plunged into despair. His conscience was even more guilt ridden knowing that he had taught her the magic that made such a feat possible, and it was because of that guilt that he desired death to even greater lengths.

For better or worse, he chose Natsu to be able to stop him. The choice made sense since he created Natsu with that fact in mind. To that end, he believed that only Natsu, and his E.N.D. power, would be capable of bringing him down. Zeref could only hope that was the case, lest he suffer to live for all eternity.

 _***July 17th, Approx. 2 km Southwest of Magnolia, 12:36 PM***_

She was frustrated, beyond frustrated in fact. Three days and the only difference in Natsu was that he was beginning to pull away from the rest of them. Lucy was never one to take out her anger easily unless provoked by the previously mentioned dragon slayer. In this case, though, she was about ready to give the man a piece of her mind. They had been trekking endlessly these past few kilometers and Natsu had not yet said a word as they approached their hometown. The worry that had been gripping Lucy's heart had not subsided since departing from Crocus and, in fact, had spiked to new levels whenever she laid eyes on the pink-haired dragonslayer. She knew Natsu was stubborn and believed him to be clueless in matters of the heart so she was debating internally how to get him to open up.

" _Maybe I can just come out and say it?"_

" _And then what? Watch him laugh and try assure you?"_

" _Then I'll corner him and give him an earful."_

" _In the mood he's in? He'd be liable to punch you instead of surrender to you. Remember how you were after mom died? Or when you ran away the first time and got dragged back to the mansion?"_

Lucy scowled, realizing that no matter how matter she argued with herself she got nowhere, but the last point that she had internally brought up was as much of a realization as it was a legitimate question. Was Natsu truly hurting inside? And if so why? Was it something that happened in Crocus?

Her thoughts, though, were interrupted as Fairy Tail's strongest team entered the city of Magnolia, a sight that always caused joy to rush through the group and for the most part the city did exactly that, with the exception of Natsu.

He had been straggling behind for some time and, despite the beliefs of his comrades, was aware the furtive glances and the attempts to get him to spill on each of them what it was that had been bothering him. While he had been truly touched by the display, he could not help but become irritated and desperately craved for them to just leave him in peace. A part of him, though, knew he should open up to them, tell them everything as soon as he began doubting himself. Haunted memories though flooded his mind though, from failing to protect Lisanna and Happy when he as nothing but a child to the day Igneel had abandoned him, the feeling of self-doubt weighed on his consciousness far heavier than anything he had ever experienced in his life. There, of course, had been other instances where he had been flooded with self-doubt, during missions and fights, but seeing the future Lucy die before his eyes had now heavily weighed upon him more so than anything before. Natsu Dragneel did not fear many things, but losing Lucy terrified him. Even more terrifying than losing her, would be losing her when he could have saved her.

It was that single realization in his mind that caused him to run, fleeing Lucy, Happy and the rest of his closest friends, sprinting in the direction of the forests near his home. A place where he had spent hours in prior years burning trees following the, then believed, death of Lisanna. But in his flight from his team, Natsu attracted the attention of his comrades, and they each shared a look of concern before Lucy led the charge after him, followed closely by the others. Natsu crashed through the shoulders of individuals who happened to be standing at the edge of his charging path, bruising them in the process. It was unfortunate for the individuals who stood directly in the path of Natsu as he barreled them over, tears threatening to burst from his eyes.

Lucy and the rest of Fairy Tail's strongest team struggled to keep up, shouting apologies to all those who had unfortunately been forced to feel the anguish of the troubled dragonslayer. Natsu grew frustrated with the crowded street and so he leaped to the nearest building, and gripped the windowsill with both of his hands. From there, he braced his feet on the wall and kicked off while he used his upper body strength to pull himself up, using the flames of his dragonslayer magic to catapult himself to the roof of the building. The wall he had been on cracked charred, leaving a black stain on the pearly walls, a sign of the darkness that had clearly flooded the young man's mind. Unfortunately, during the chase, Wendy had tripped into Lucy causing her to tumble into Erza and Gray as they rolled to a stop on the pavement. Carla had stopped to ensure the safety of Wendy, but Happy had refused to be halted and quickened his flight after his friend.

Natsu sprinted to the eastern edge of the building and leaped, flying to the next building and continued this pattern until he spotted the seclusion he felt he needed. He then planted his left foot, cutting from east to northeast and planting his right foot on the drip edge of the roof and, with the aid of his burning flames, launched himself at the secluded woods. If any citizen were to look to the skies in the north, they would believe they were witnessing a burning comet if they were not familiar with the local fire wizard.

Natsu laid out within his personal fireball, eyes clamped shut tight, trying to prevent any tears from falling down his face. He sailed deep with in the woods, crashing through trees on his descent before he skimmed the surface of the earth, smashing through roots and any uplifted earth, leaving a broken and scorched trail behind him. His momentum finally lost to the laws of physics as he had tumbled and rolled to a halt at the base of a tall maple tree. Dizzy from his anger fueled crash, he picked himself up slowly, his mind racing with any and all potential scenarios of failure. With each one playing itself out in his mind's eye, his fists clenched tighter and tighter, his body tensing more and more, his magic springing to life around his body and pooling around his fists. Tears threatened to spill as he grimaced and grit his teeth, but the finally fell when Zeref struck her down, only to anger him to the point that he would lash out and, ideally to Zeref, kill the immortal wizard.

The tears fell and, Natsu being as stubborn as he was, decided to destroy anything within arm's length as a way of beating them into submission. He lashed out to his left with his right fist, crippling a young tree, he spun back to his right, a heated roundhouse kick with his left foot dismantling some fractured and broken earth that had been raised from his previous bouts of rage. He swung his right foot out and up, uprooting a nearby ash tree and, as he allowed his momentum to carry him through a flip he focused his eyes on the ground, willing his flames to increase in strength around his left fist as he descended. A straight punch from said fist caused the earth to splinter and break apart, more of it being raised before he spun 180 degrees and lashed out with a right cross, breaking through a wall of earth. His eyes allowing waves of tears to fall, betraying his anger and showing what this outburst truly was, pain.

With each strike he shouted and cried out, screamed and wailed as he tormented the forest, destroying everything around the oversized maple tree before it had dared to stand in his way. He led the way with his right fist, encased in flames, placing a splintered dent into the tree but otherwise not falling to the abuse. This only served to anger the dragonslayer further, and with a roar his left fist shot and connected with the tree, deepening the previously made dent but not felling the tree. With a scream he brought his right knee up, then shot the right foot out, once again placing a splintered dent in the tree but it did not fall. A left roundhouse kick struck the side of the tree and put a gash into it but again stood tall. Natsu leapt at it with a barrage of punches, doing everything he could to bring it down, cries and screams rang out across the forest, beckoning to his friends who were racing to the forest that Happy had witnessed Natsu sail into. Natsu's wails were his pleas for help, and he subconsciously prayed they would be answered.

 _***Meanwhile - In Scourge Village - 492 km Northwest of Ancient Graveyard Ruins - 1:17 PM ***_

The village was bare and seemingly devoid of life to any who passed by it. This was not true, though, for unbeknownst to those who passed by the village there were magical runes meticulously placed around the village to create an illusion to all those who passed by. Even more interesting was that no individual was capable of entering the village for the glyphs prevented any individual from entering without fear of pain. Those who dared to enter would instantly disintegrate upon coming into contact with the glyph made barrier. For that reason, they had named the place the Scourge Village and cautioned any to avoid it. For the same reason that none could enter the village, none of the villagers were capable of leaving, for the caster of the runes had placed very specific runes on his comrades. Only those who had been branded with said runes were capable of coming and going from the village.

One such individual approached the Scourge village, his magenta eyes glowing within the hood created shadow, his cloak pulled snugly about him. His black combat boots kicking up dust as he marched to the edge of the barrier. He stopped about a couple of meters away from the barrier, and it was once he reached that distance that he removed the black glove that adorned his left hand. He then rotated his arm and hand so that the back of his hand faced the barrier, a majestic hammer with the head of it angled towards the rest of his body while a sword was placed behind it angled away from him. This was the symbol of his guild, the symbol that he shared with Tool, Espen, and five others.

The symbol glowed before the barrier parted approximately three to four meters. The magenta eyed man stepped through the opening, flashing his guild mark at the barrier, causing it to close behind him. He then put the black glove back onto his hand before walking towards his guild hall. All about him men and children stared at him, scorn radiating through their glares. Behind those glares, though, was also fear, fear of being hurt, murdered, or forced to witness a family member murdered or tortured for their transgressions. Typically, the magenta eyed man would have done just that, but he was in too good of a mood considering what he and Espen had discovered a few days ago. He knew that he should torture and ruin these poor souls since Espen never allowed him to when the man was present, but Espen was at the ruins and the magenta eyed man knew he couldn't dawdle for long if so that he could obtain the rumored power sealed within. So the man hurried to the Thunder Titan guild hall.

He approached the guild, though for the sake of accuracy the guild was, in truth, a fort as opposed to being any form of a building. He strode right up to the gates and stopped, staring at the gates and walls of the fort. He shifted his weight onto his left foot and, pushing off of it, leaped to the top of the gates where he kicked off the ledge with his right foot, launching himself into the courtyard of the fort. He landed with a crash, the ground splintering around him as he landed. He then strode into the barracks where the "headquarters" for the guild itself was. He strode through to the barracks, pushing the doors open as he walked in, the sight before him was of men and women sitting at tables and the bar, drinking, eating, talking and laughing. His eyes journeyed to the second level, to see people leaning on the railing relaxing and laughing and talking. He strode to the bar and as he did, men and women parted before him, those who knew of him nodded to him in greeting, while those who considered him to be a friend smiled and gave a slight wave of their hand. The magenta eyed man could not help it when he saw them and smiled in return. His eyes though were not focused on those who smiled at him, instead he was scanning the crowd for Tool, giving a slight growl when he was unable to. He turned and sat at the bar on one of the stools, deciding that Tool was not present. He typically would have checked the basement but he knew that Tool had moved her workshop to the second floor and that if she weren't among the crowd she was busy with a project, and he knew enough from personal experience to never disturb her. He had no desire to receive a wrench to his most precious region between his legs.

That belief did not last long as the stool had placed himself upon launched itself into the air towards the ceiling, earning a brief gasp of shock from the magenta eyed sitter. As he approached the ceiling he was prepared to either destroy his seat, or blow a hole through the ceiling of the barracks. It never came though, as his ride abruptly turned, flying over the railing of the second floor, weaving between support beams, men and women throwing themselves to the floor to avoid being trucked by the man riding a flying, rocket powered barstool. His stool rounded a corner, flying straight at a familiar steel door. His mind quickly registered the door and his eyes narrowed, typically he would avoid but assumed the door would open.

A loud bang resounded throughout the guild as he crashed into the steel door, the bar stool giving a small explosion and covering the man in smoke as he remained imprinted on the steel door. The door then slammed open, pushing outward, forcing the man into the wall behind the door.

Through the open door, a diminutive woman walked out, standing at about four feet tall, a welding mask covering her face and a flaring welding torch in her fireproof gloved hands.

"Who the fuck is knocking on my door?! How many times do I need to tell you not to bother me when I'm fucking busy?! And where the hell is Jordan?! Espen had the balls to interrupt me with that stupid communication lacrima to let me know that Jordan was on his way!"

A loud slam shook the walls as Jordan kicked the door shut, and then removed himself from the wall, coming face to face with the woman in the welding mask as she spun about.

"You dumb bitch! Why the hell didn't you open the damn door?!"

"Why the fuck didn't you get off stupid?! Did you expect the damn door to open just for you?!"

The magenta eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Hell yeah! If you can get that fucking stool to keep from leaving the planet you can get the door to open when I get close!"

"Consider that punishment for stealing my underwear last week you fucking pervert!"

"Steal your - you dumb slut! You left it in my room after you slept with me!"

"Slept with you?! You bastard! You practically used a lust potion on me!"

"That's backwards you stupid broad! You slipped me the fucking potion!"

At this point they were nose to mask, Jordan's magenta eyes glowing brightly. The two were silent for about a minute, and although there was a welder's mask separating the two faces, it could be said that the two were staring at each other for quite some time. It was a battle of wills if you would, until finally, Jordan's face broke out into a grin, his hood having been from his head and settling on the back of his shoulders during his roller-coaster ride on a damned barstool. The smaller woman raised the welder's mask, a similar grin crossing her features. It wasn't long before the two grins burst into laughter, neither of them able to contain it any longer as they laughed. After an approximate minute or so of laughter, the two finally began to calm down, their chests heaving for air. Jordan wiped the tears from his eyes, his smile quickly fading from his face as he straightened himself up and his cloak, his features turning serious as he turned his gaze to the woman who had removed the welder's mask. She was not an unattractive woman, her green hair cut short, reaching to just above the base of her neck, with yellow eyes fitting her plump but diminutive figure.

Noticing the look on Jordan's face she became somewhat concerned, and asked the dangerous question.

"What is it Jordan?"

He looked at her, his eyes showing business as did his posture and demeanor.

"I need you to come with me to Espen, in the mountain range southeast of here are some form of ruins. We believe the power that Espen and I have been seeking lies there, but there are glyphs present and we cannot decipher them for they are a language we do not understand. You use both rune and machina magic, therefore, we require your aid."

She sighed and gave a brief nod.

"Alright, let me pack a bag and we can-"

"I'm afraid we do not have time for that. We leave immediately. I will suggest that Espen summon the Lahar back here should we discover something invaluable pertaining to our search. He knew no doubt would like to know in order to keep those pests away from the area."

With that, Jordan strode right past Tool, reaching up and pulling his hood over his head, shrouding his features. Tool sighed and sprinted into her workshop, silver magic circles appearing around her hands as metal flew throughout the shop and out she stepped, covered in a metallic suit of armor, the steel door closing behind her. Despite the armor, she moved silently through the barracks, follow Jordan at a brisk pace on their way back to Espen. The thoughts that ran through Tool's mind were endless, and she was far more than eager to witness this discovery, hoping that there might be some form of an answer to saving….

A quick shake of the head removed such thoughts as she mentally berated herself for allowing such optimism to enter her mind. She had long since crushed hope, yet, ironically, still searched for answers to the conundrum she found her life situation to be in. It was this twisted and hypocritic mindset that she so enjoyed removing hope from any wizard she had to battle. A sickening smile formed on her face beneath the steel helmet. She knew of Espen's and Jordan's desires in regards to that which they believe to have found. She was going to enjoy crushing their hopes when the time came.

 _***Meanwhile - Outskirts of Magnolia 237 m from Natsu's Solitude***_

They had only been a couple hundred meters away from the edge of the forest when they heard the beginning of his onslaught. Fear gripped the hearts of Erza, Wendy, and Carla, fear that Natsu was battling some unknown assailant. Gray and Happy knew better though, for they witnessed these lapses of Natsu's mental state on brief occasions before but could tell from the sound of it, this was by far the worst he had ever been. Lucy was beside herself though, she knew Natsu wasn't fighting anyone, but she also knew from her own tantrums in the past, he was in pain. He was fighting his own self. The only thing Lucy could not understand was why. Why Natsu was torturing himself and the rest of them in such a manner made her want to join him in the outcries but she had steeled herself to be strong for his sake. With that the friends hastened towards the source of the cries and roars, stumbling and tripping through roots, branches, and stones. Their hearts crying out to their comrade, whom's cries grew in both volume and desperation.

Erza and Gray had finally had enough, and so, two quick spells later saw Erza slashing and cutting through forests while Gray's ice uprooted trees. All for the sake of creating an easy path to reach Natsu faster. Their pace hastened, sprinting as fast as they could through trees and shrubs. They could see the flames of Natsu's rage as they burst into the clearing, just in time to witness Natsu slam a roundhouse kick with his right leg, slamming into a massive tree with a splintering crack and sending the tree toppling to the ground, crashing several meters in front of the group that burst onto the scene. The group watched in horror as there stood Natsu, tears freely running down his face, his hands, elbows, knees, and feet were bruised and battered as his right foot touched down and, not acknowledging their presence, he sank to his knees, weeping as he did so. His hands came up covering his face as he leaned into them. The only hands he had allowed himself to lean into when Igneel left, when Lisanna left, and now….

Lucy, it all came back to Lucy. Natsu couldn't understand why he felt this way about the celestial spirit mage. Igneel had never really taught Natsu about romantic love, seeing that Natsu was a bit too young to understand. There was the time when they had sex ed, Natsu had been red in the face for weeks and had been unable to train properly as a result. Now though, just the thought of Lucy made Natsu go insane, his heart thundered like the trains that he so despised. Lucy had been everything to him since they met in Hargeon, and Natsu had sworn to always protect her and keep her happy. Yeah he knew he got on her nerves or irritated her, but what Lucy didn't know was that Natsu craved that attention. Believe it or not, when it came to the attractive blonde teenager, Natsu felt immensely insecure. He knew annoying her wouldn't help his insecurities but he was scared. Scared that if we wasn't around her all the time, or pestering her that she would leave him. Leave him just like Igneel, like Lisanna. Sure Lisanna had come back but too much time had passed for Natsu to be able to look at her like that, not to mention they were kids during that whole marriage business. Lisanna had taught him about that aspect of love, but Natsu knew nothing of romance, nor did he knew how it felt to be in love with someone.

The thundering of his heart only occurred for him in the heat of battle, so was that the issue? He had just raged through the forest so perhaps it wasn't just because he thought of Lucy. Still, he always thought of Lucy, anytime he finished a battle or walked into the guild. His eyes sought Lucy, he hunted for Lucy. When missions became tough his first thought was always of protecting Lucy, keeping her safe, making sure she was okay. In no way shape or form did Natsu consider her to be weak. That thought never once crossed his mind, he knew that Lucy was more than capable of beating just about anyone. That knowledge never belayed his concerns or worries though. So he wept, he wept at his insecurities, he wept at his own weakness. He wept at his fears, his biggest fear. That he would let Lucy down, that he would fail to protect her, that he would lose her.

It was these weeping cries that tore at the hearts of his friends, Lucy in particular. Wendy cried openly as did Happy, with Carla trying to console them both, Erza watched, her mouth curved into a frown while Gray simply stared at the earth beneath his feat. Lucy's eyes filled with her own tears at the state of her beloved dragonslayer. She knew her feelings for him, she loved him deeply and that love for him was what guided her footsteps towards the crying pink-haired teen. Natsu, for all of his dragonslayer senses, failed to notice her approach, so wracked by despair was he. She dropped to her knees beside him, fully facing him, and stretched her arms out, wrapping her right arm around his waist and her left hand, catching the left side of Natsu's head and guided it to her shoulder. Natsu barely registered the touch, but leaned on her shoulder regardless, soaking the vest jacket she wore as he cried.

She did something she remembered her mother doing when she cried. Lucy ran her left hand through the surprisingly soft pink spikes of the teenage dragonslayer, hoping to ease his heart even if only a little. She slowly began to sway from her left to right, rocking the young man as he poured his soul to her, all of his pain and sorrow. She held him, refusing to let go, refusing to leave him to his pain and sorrow. Their friends watched the gentle and touching moment, none daring to move at first, even Happy remained still. Slowly but surely the pained cries died down, giving way to slow deep breaths, the pain, the tears, and the outburst of his rage led to him falling into a sleep. If Lucy noticed, she refused to let on as she continued to rock the troubled teen, still playing with his pink spikes.

Gray and Erza gave a small smile at the show of affection, as did Carla and Wendy. Happy, though, watched on in concern. Not from any form of jealousy or insecurity but pure concern. He had seen Natsu act in a similar fashion, but not to this extreme. Happy was scared to say the least, scared of being lashed out, afraid of being left alone, afraid of no longer being one of Natsu's closest friends. He quickly dismissed these thoughts as he allowed his Aera magic to activate and he flew over to the couple, landing on Lucy's free shoulder. Lucy turned and looked at him, her face full of determination.

"Happy, can you carry him back to my apartment? We're gonna report to the master and we'll all meet up. Keep an eye on him ok? We promise we won't be long."

The blue exceed gave a small nod before Erza interrupted. "No, Lucy. You, Wendy and Carla go with them. Gray go collect Natsu's things and I'll get Wendy's. We'll meet up after we inform the master."

Lucy couldn't help the small smile on her face as she thanked them. Happy grabbed Natsu by the collar of his robe. Lucy relinquished her hold of him, allowing Happy to lift the dragonslayer into the air. She then climbed to her own feet, waving to Gray and Erza as they walked to the guild hall. The rest departed for Lucy's apartment.

 _***With Erza and Gray - 79 m from Fairy Tail***_

"Are you sure it's a good idea, all of us crowding Lucy's apartment like that? Maybe we should just leave Natsu with her and Happy and the rest of us butt out."

Erza nodded slowly. "Trust me Gray we will, but for now let's see if we can all keep an eye on him. Maybe we can get Lucy to tell him."

Gray blew a sigh both of relief and disbelief.

"You really think she'll open up just like that to him? I mean yeah they both have it for each other but still…."

Erza smiled. "I suppose you should set an example and tell Juvia how you feel."

Gray's eyes widened comically at the offhanded remark. "This isn't about Juvia and I, this is about that stupid flamethrower and Lucy! Besides, why don't you set the example and tell Jellal!"

A full blush crossed Erza's features. "I don't know what you're talking about! Jellal and I were friends a long time ago and besides, even if I did love him I have no way of telling him."

Gray smirked, feeling victory at hand. "So you love him huh?"

Erza's eyes widened, realizing her mistake. So she reacted the only way she could. She brought her fist down on the crown of Gray's head, causing his knees to buckle.

"Ow! Dammit Erza!"

The scarlet-haired woman paid no mind as she continued her march towards the guild, leaving Gray to scramble after her.

They were unaware of the figure observing them from the rooftops.

" _Those two, they're friends of the dragonslayer. They will have to be dealt with swiftly once_ _ **they**_ _have arrived from Pergrande."_

 _***Meanwhile - With Natsu, Lucy, Happy, Wendy, and Carla - 38 m from Lucy's Apartment***_

It was a quiet journey for the small group, with the exception of the busy streets they crossed. The silence that was present over the group was one that was generated out of respect for Natsu's slumber, but also one where Lucy spent in reflection and ponderment over the troubled dragonslayer. She knew he had cried out her name during his rage in the forest, but was he troubled by her future death that much, was he scared? What was it that had set him off. Watching him from the corner of her eye, his face set grimly as if he was steeling himself for another deadly fight made her wonder what was it that had him so upset. She had never seen him this way, and it scared her. Not out of fear of him losing control and hurting her, but of him losing himself and hurting himself. Her face took on a look of determination, determined not let him lose himself, determined to help him, keep him safe from his own pain. He may have gone to great lengths to save her in the past from enemies, and she may never be able to save him in that way. She was okay with that, but she knew that she could save him pain, the pain of crushed feelings and emotions.

Wendy was watching Natsu as well, also wondering what was wrong, but for a different reason. If he was sick it was something she had never seen, but she was determined her dragonslayer magic would be able to heal him and save him. Smiling a little as she watched Lucy stare at the sleeping pink-haired teen. She was concerned for one of her closest friends, Natsu was reckless, but she guessed that was why her membership to the team was so important, she could heal all of them when they all did reckless things. If she was honest with herself then she would admit that she too was quite reckless. Allowing her to smile, and not for the first time, at the beauty of her Fairy Tail family.

They were unaware that they were being watched, high above, by a figure crouched in the shadows.

" _The pink haired man and the blue haired girl, both are dragonslayers. The others are inconsequential. We will have to strike. Not a single one of the three Fairy Tail dragonslayers appear to be of much threat. Nor do the two from Sabretooth. If only those other two would hurry up and get here from Pergrande. We could have struck by now if they hadn't gone to Pergrande. Damn them. But oh well, me and my counterpart can observe for now. Then we will be well prepared at their return."_

A twisted smile of white teeth appeared in the shadows, eager to end the reign of the dragonslayers, and permanently extinguish the last ties to dragons.

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Sorry about the brisk pace to start, I've noticed that I have this trend of starting these stories off swiftly and then slowing down quickly afterwards. Something to improve upon I suppose. I hope you have enjoyed this beginning to a new series, and hope that you are looking forward to the next chapter (God knows when I'll get that up). My priorities in terms of stories and chapters are as follows with this release: New chapter for _World of Fire_ (standard 15-20 pages like this one), _The Era of the Sixth,_ and then back to this, _The Burning Stars_. Please leave a review or PM me with any questions or suggestions or ideas. I make no promises that I will implement the ideas or suggestions but I will do my best to answer any questions and will definitively acknowledge that you have taken the time to speak with me. Thank you all for reading and until next time, this is The 85th Naruto saying see ya!

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 _Next Time: Deciphering the Heart_


	2. Deciphering the Heart

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or it's surrounding universe. All characters, plots, themes, and ideas belong to Hiro Mashima, the creator.

A/N: "Speech" - " _Thought"_ \- " _Spells_ " - **Normal Emphasis** \- " _ **Thought Emphasis**_ "

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Welcome back everybody! Hope you guys are looking forward to this update as much as I have, it was a pretty fun chapter to write if a little aggravating when writer's block would strike. I'm sorry it took so long to get up and I'm sorry it's a few pages shorter than usual, but I felt it was a good place to stop so that I can set up the next chapter which I'll get started on in a few months. The next thing to go up will be the next chapter of the Fairy Tail and Naruto Crossover. Until then, R&R, enjoy and definitely review! I look forward to any thoughts and suggestions you have or any questions and comments so please hit me up!

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" _All you have to do….is open up."_

 _-Anonymous_

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 _Episode 2: Deciphering the Heart_

 _Season 1: Tears of Fire_

 _Series: The Burning Stars_

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 _***July 17th X791 - 49 m from the border of Pergrande and Sin - 11:50 PM***_

Dark cumulonimbus clouds gathered over a small town as two cloaked and hooded individuals strode in, making a beeline for the nearest inn. The two entered to be greeted by stares of both curiosity and suspicion from the individuals seated in the bar and eatery beneath the inn. The two strode silently towards the presumed innkeeper, who was also serving as the bartender, wading through the glares while slipping past tables and waitresses alike. The two arrived at the bar, to which the the bartender turned her eyes to the two curiously until one pointed upstairs while the other placed a stack of bills on the counter. She gave a small nod, sliding the bills into her hand and placing them in a box beneath the counter before sliding a key across the counter to them. It was difficult to tell if the two individuals had nodded but the bartender assumed so given the flutter of the fabric from their hoods. The two then turned towards a spiral staircase that was positioned in the far western corner of the room, smothered by tables. Their cloaks billowed as they strode towards it, passing tables full of empty mugs and individuals drinking themselves into a state of regret come the following morning in the form of a hangover.

No one dared to cause any trouble with the newcomers at the present moment as the two cloaked individuals made wound their way up the staircase, turning to their left and taking about seven steps before turning back to the right to go down the hallway to their room, as dictated by the signs on the walls, and walking several doors in before stopping in front of the door marked with the number that matched their key. The one had been given the key slipped it into the lock, turning it away from latch and walking in. The two removed their cloaks, hanging them upon the rack placed behind the door.

The first individual revealed pink hair that appeared to have been faded , looking closer to a white than an actual pink. Wrinkles surrounded the man's crisp blue eyes, as well as his mouth, revealing age but nothing older than 70 although he certainly appeared to be growing close to such an age. He wore beneath the cloak a black jacket that was zipped up to the top of his rib cage, revealing a crimson shirt beneath it. He wore loose white pants that were tucked into his dark brown boots, which were in motion as he moved towards a nearby table, opening his travel pack as he did so to produce a communication lacrima.

The companion whom had traveled with him, also removed his cloak, hanging it next to the older man. This individual was younger by an approximate 20 years, wearing an outfit similar to that of the older man's the difference though was that the shirt was just as black as the jacket, as were the boots. His hair was spiked just at the front, with the banes at the widow's peak were not up, as they were pointed off to the man's left eye, his hair a clear brown. The hair, spiked up came up into a single point, while at the edges of the spiked up hair stood out a little bit more, not quite being a part of the grouped spike and only off to the right side of his head. The hair at the back of his head laid flat, allowed to hang freely despite the shortness, of it. The hair at the base of his skull extended just past where his neck and skull met, while his banes, when not spiked, did not even reach the middle of his forehead. The man's hazel eyes stood out against his pale, shaved face, his nose angling just to the right showing the after effects of it being broken at one point in his life. The man turned back to the now closed door, pressing his palm to the wood of the door, placing a magic circle upon it, before striding over to the window in the room and, after closing the curtains, did the same thing.

He then turned back to his older counterpart who had gotten the communication lacrima set up, the two locked eyes, blue and hazel. The two shared a brief nod before the older of the pair activated the magic lacrima. They did not have to wait long before they received an answer in the form of a woman with long black hair. She looked gazed at the older man before cracking a smile, her voice ringing out like a sweet bell as she spoke.

"It's about time you checked in master, the guild over here is getting impatient waiting for you to get back."

The older man gave a small smile, "Always a pleasure Alyssa, tell me, did **those** **two** manage to track him down?"

The woman nodded, "Yes, his guild recently won the Grand Magic Games and that made things easier. Though he did not arrive back with the rest of his guild, he and a small group of his comrades appear to have walked home from Crocus."

The older man nodded, "I see, and what is the name of my " **son's** " guild and where is it located?"

Alyssa gave a smile. "Magnolia sir, he's a member of the Fairy Tail guild."

The older man arched a brow at this. He had heard the stories of Fairy Tail and knew this would be far more troublesome than he had hoped.

"I see, and the rest of the dragonslayers?"

"Three of them are also in Fairy Tail and are friends of your **son** , there are two others who are members of the Sabretooth guild located on the northern side of a mountain range to the northwest of Fairy Tail, north of Crocus. They also appear to be friends with your son, though I should warn you, one of the dragonslayers from Fairy Tail is artificial, he did not receive his training from a dragon like the others, he has a lacrima embedded in him that gives him such power. This is the same with the two from Sabretooth though they did learn their magic from dragons."

"It matters not at all, they all possess dragonslayer power and thus they are our targets. That being said, we're collecting the last few pieces that we need, it will take us anywhere from 6 months to a year to accomplish this feat, return, and then get the machine prepared. In the meantime, be sure to monitor the guild that we sent Lana to. Make sure that we are ready for when that guild uncovers the artifact we seek so that we can switch the two out."

Alyssa gave a nod, "Of course master, you can be sure your orders will be followed to the letter. What about the four you sent out?"

"Be sure that they keep surveillance to a minimum and ensure that they know not to engage or interfere at any cost. Is that understood Alyssa?"

"Of course Master Derik."

With that the master ended the call via the lacrima and returned it to his bag. Turning his gaze to his companion, but looking through him, not truly focused on anything with the exception of his thoughts.

" _You have a year at most to live the life you desire my son, before I come and rip it from you and the rest of the dragonslayers."_

 _***Meanwhile - Magnolia - Lucy's Apartment***_

The typically empty apartment was filled to the brim with Fairy Tail's strongest team. Natsu was currently tucked into Lucy's bed, on his right side facing her window and on that side of the twin sized bed, his knees curled up to his chest and his arms tucked beside his head, imitating a ball. Happy slept on his back at Natsu's feet, sleeping soundly. By this point in time Wendy was asleep on the couch with Carla curled up on the arm of said couch, located near Wendy's head. Gray had gone and shut himself in Lucy's bathroom, not even bothering to ask permission, simply claiming he needed to shower from the day's events, resulting in a sigh from an exasperated Lucy. This left Lucy and Erza alone at the small table in Lucy's kitchen, with the scarlet haired woman taking advantage of this opportunity to coax Lucy into what Gray and Erza had spoken about prior to arriving to the apartment.

Lucy had turned her attention to the sleeping dragonslayer, she had seen him sleep other times and she felt that when he slept he betrayed the feelings he tried to guard. When he was restless he was either scared or anxious, when he snored he was simply drained or just worn out. When he slept calmly he was focused and mentally prepared for something, he was determined. That was why Lucy felt puzzled at this moment, trying to figure out how he was feeling. She had never ever seen Natsu sleep curled up like this, and he was shaking a little. Lucy knew better than to believe him to be cold so she wondered as to what plagued his heart.

Unaware to Lucy and her thoughts, Erza watched the blonde celestial wizard. Looking between her and Natsu and smiling slightly before deciding to speak up and try and convince Lucy of what should be done. If you knew Erza, you knew she was one who never minced her words.

So it was in true Titania fashion that Erza asked, "You love him, don't you Lucy?"

Lucy snapped out of her thoughts by physically and forcefully turning her head to make eye contact with the scarlet haired wizard, a blush that was even redder than Erza's hair across the blonde's features.

"W-what? No I-"

"Lucy I've been watching you gaze at him long enough over the past few months to know that you have feelings for him. I'm just asking you if those feelings are feelings of love for him and more than brotherly love."

Lucy sighed, bowing her head to look in her lap as she did so before nodding in affirmation.

"Yes, I love him. I'm **in** love with him."

Erza gave a small smile before leaning forward in her chair, "Then you need to tell him. Show him."

Lucy simply shook her head, "I will show him, by helping him through whatever it is that he's dealing with right now. But I won't tell him I love him, not until he's back to being Natsu."

Erza watched Lucy for a few minutes before turning her gaze to Natsu, "You know something Lucy?"

The blonde looked up, watching Erza curiously.

"Yeah?"

"Natsu isn't as dumb as he comes across. He may be simple minded and find that everything has a simple answer, but that's what makes him smart. Sometimes the most difficult questions we come across have the simplest answers. He keeps things simple and light, he knows how important it is to laugh, even when things are going wrong. Be patient with him Lucy, he'll make mistakes no matter what anyone says. You will too, just have faith in him and your love for him. You two will work out beautifully, I'm sure."

Lucy gave a small nod, "Yeah, but first we have to save him from himself."

Erza nodded in agreement to that, worried about their friend. Neither one of them was aware that Natsu had woken up shortly before their conversation but refused to move when he heard Erza begin to speak. Natsu's eyes were wide at what Lucy had said, and he became even more frightened when he reflected upon the nightmare that forced him to awaken.

 _***Natsu's Nightmare***_

 _He didn't know where he was or what was going on. The building he was in was dark and he was chained to some wall, his hands above his head and separated to each side. His scarf was dirty, showing he had struggled, his jacket hung open the left sleeve was torn off where the seams for the shoulder met with the arm. He was bruised and beaten and blood had dried up at the corners of his mouth. He looked to his right, eyes widening as he saw Lucy, bruised, battered, beaten and bloodied. There were cuts across her arms, sides, abdomen and face. Her vest was gone as well as the half sleeve on her right arm, and she had lost one of her boots and socks so her left leg was bare. Instantly Natsu saw red, and roared and thrashed as he tried to break free, not realizing his magic would not spring forth._

" _Natsu."_

 _It came out as a whimper, but Natsu heard it and he froze, wide eyes turning to stare at his star, who, despite the bruises, cuts, and blood, he felt was beautiful._

" _Lucy...don't worry, I swear I'll get us out! Just hang in there ok?!"_

" _I'm afraid neither of you are leaving here alive."_

 _The two turned to a robed individual, a hood hiding his face._

" _You see, you both have rare magic and if I were to combine the magic of the stars with the magic of dragons I would be able to conquer all."_

" _Who the hell are you?!"_

 _The only sign that the stranger acknowledged Natsu's yell was the hood turned in his direction slightly._

" _Now now, there's no need to get so angry son. Here, the process is painless. Watch."_

 _The man strode to Lucy, reaching his left hand out and placing a clear magic circle upon her abdomen. This only served to force Natsu to thrash more._

" _Leave her alone! You hurt her and I swear I'll tear you apart!"_

 _A flash of white teeth in the form of a small caused Lucy to tremble as the man lifted his right hand, formed in a fist and adorned with crystal rings. He placed the fist against the magic circle as he spoke._

" _Lacrima Make: Crystallic Drain!"_

" _LUCY!"_

 _Lucy's eyes widened as there was a bright flash of golden light before she went limp, hanging by her wrists from the chains that held her up._

 _The hooded man then turned to Natsu, one of his rings glowing bright gold._

" _Fear not my son, she felt no pain. And neither shall you."_

" _What the hell did you do to her?!"_

 _Another smile, "I simply took her magic, she is now no longer living."_

 _Natsu's eyes widened and he stopped struggling. He stopped fighting and just hung there, his head staring at the ground, eyes dull._

 _The man placed his left hand against Natsu's abdomen, another clear magic circle appearing._

" _You truly look pitiful Natsu Dragneel. Fear not, for I will use your power with the power of the woman you loved. Just as the two of you used to. Besides, you will join her before long."_

" _Lacrima Make: Crystallic Drain!"_

 _A flash of red erupted into the room, and Natsu too now hung lifeless by his wrists, the hooded man now had one golden lacrima embedded in the ring on his index finger, while the ring on his middle finger had a scarlet ring with what appeared to be a flame dancing within it._

" _Now I destroy your Fairy Tail with your own power."_

 _***End of Natsu's Nightmare***_

Natsu gave a small shudder, hoping it would go unnoticed. He had no idea if his nightmare would come to pass, but he was determined to prevent it from happening.

Despite that determination though, Natsu was afraid that he wouldn't be able to save Lucy. That fear once again erupting within him. Natsu remembered what he had learned from Gildarts about fear, but he didn't know how this fear was similar, what weakness it showed.

So Natsu clamped his eyes tight and did everything he could to forget the fear.

 _***July 18th - Ancient Graveyard Ruins - 2:30 A.M.***_

Espen sat, leaned up against a broken wall about 32 m away from the mausoleum that he and Jordan were attempting to enter a couple of days ago before the glyphs appeared and Espen had sent Jordan to retrieve Tool so that she could decipher the glyphs for them. So Espen waited for the two of them to quit acting like beasts on a cliffside about 10 km down the mountain. Hearing such noises and sounds caused Espen to wish that he could obtain this power even sooner so that he might save his wife, not to act like animals but to have that love and companionship that he had once fallen in love with. Espen leaned his head back against the wall, staring up at the stars, hoping that one of them would make his wish come true.

Minutes later a black magic circle appeared in the ground a few metres away from Espen, where both Jordan and Tool appeared, bickering as usual.

"Why the hell did you bring us to the base of the fucking mountain? Why not teleport to the top you loser?!

"I couldn't you dumb broad! Something about this place allows me to teleport away but directly to these fucking ruins so it ain't my damn fault!"

"It is too! You and your useless spell! Useless!"

"If it wasn't for me and this spell you would have had to walk all the way here bitch! Just because I can't use that spell too often otherwise I'd be completely drained of magic power. If that were to happen then I would be absolutely useless."

"So? I don't see much difference between that you and this you."

"You wanna say that again bitch?!"

"Oh I'm sorry, I forgot that **everything** about you is useless."

"Oh really? You weren't saying that a few minutes ago when you were under me!"

"The fuck did you just say?!"

"You heard me slut!"

Espen had finally had enough as he stood up.

"Enough!"

The shout forced both Jordan and Tool to face the dark skinned man and his angry glare.

"We have work that needs to be done, Tool, the mausoleum behind you is where our work lies, go there and get started. The glyphs will appear when you press your hand to the doors. I need to speak with Jordan alone."

She gave a brief nod before turning on her heel and walking towards the dark mausoleum. Espen then turned back to Jordan, his dark eyes glowing with determination and rage.

"You took your time in getting here Jordan, I hope you had a good reason."

The man's purple eyes flashed dangerously at the potential accusation.

"Had to meet with Lahar on the way here, up the pressure on him to keep the council in the dark about us. We can't let our scapegoat forget that he's in our hands, not the council's."

Espen nodded, accepting the answer.

"Any news on the other guild?"

Jordan gave a small nod. "Yeah, they've got eyes on all the dragonslayers, not sure why though."

"Well once I've saved my wife with this power we can, perhaps, assist them in their ambitions."

Jordan scoffed internally as he nodded. Watching Espen turn away to follow in the footsteps of Tool into the mausoleum.

" _You are such a naive fool Espen. To not only be willing to assist another dark guild but also to believe that you will achieve your dreams. You're foolish to not be watching your back with me around."_

A white smile illuminated the night.

" _That power will be mine!"_

 _***Magnolia - Lucy's Apartment - 5:00 A.M.***_

His eyes opened, taking in the glow of the sun beginning to rise on the horizon, what little of it he could see through the window of Lucy's apartment. He then slowly allowed his body to uncurl, stretching his muscles as he did so and basking in the feeling of doing so. He then slowly sat himself up, gazing around the room and taking in the sight around him. Fairy Tail's Strongest Team, sleeping around him. Erza was sleeping in some form of bed armor, one that still struck him as odd but he had seen it every once in awhile. Gray slept in one of Lucy's chairs, undoubtedly stripped of his garments, while Wendy and Carla were upon the couch. He was also unsurprised by Happy sleeping at the foot of the bed but what did surprise him was Lucy snuggled up to him, her brown eyes watching him intently. Natsu matched the intense stare, his eyes trying to convey everything.

"Lucy…." he breathed, not entirely certain as to what else he should say.

"Natsu," she whispered. "Please tell me what's bothering you. I need to know I need to help you…."

Tears began to form at the corners of her eyes.

"Seeing you this way is hurting me Natsu."

Natsu looked away from her, tears of his own forming. He opened his mouth wanting to spill it all to her, something about her made him want to just embrace her and tell her everything. Yet at the same time his mind tried to keep him from doing so. He clamped his eyes shut as tight as he could, his mind and heart internally waging war. Lucy watched, worry etched upon her face as the tears rolled down her cheeks. It took a few minutes before Natsu finally reached a decision, turned his head back to his left to look at Lucy who was currently watching him intently.

Natsu then gave a small smile, something that Lucy had not seen for a few days and this time she believed it to be genuine. He then turned to her window and opened it, with years of practice, as quietly as he could manage before glancing at the blonde and pointing to his bare back, fore had only slept in his pants.

"Hop on Luce."

Normally she would have argued about not being showered or not dressed decently as she was only wearing a white t-shirt and pink pajama pants that reached mid-calf. She would have even argued about him being shirtless, which upon seeing his bare back caused her to blush slightly, especially considering the implication. But Lucy decided that she couldn't let her embarrassment get the better of her and prevent her from helping Natsu. She slowly crawled over, wrapping her arms around his neck as he gripped the back of her thighs, her hamstrings rather, and wrapped them around his waist.

"Hold on tight ok? Do you trust me not to-"

"I trust you with my life Natsu."

He gave a small nod before slowly creeping onto the windowsill. He then turned his body, letting go of Lucy's legs as he did so, reaching his hands up to grab the top edge of the window. He then pulled himself up swiftly, using his strength and desperately keeping his mind off the pressure from Lucy's assets.

Lucy felt herself suddenly accelerate and clutched to Natsu even tighter, causing the man to chuckle slightly as he landed on the shingled roof of Lucy's apartment. He then gently set her on her own feet before turning and sitting on the peak, helping Lucy to do the same beside him. She couldn't help but notice how she and Natsu were directly facing the sunrise. She squinted in an attempt to shield her eyes and as she looked to her right at Natsu, she noticed he hadn't bothered, and his eyes were far more sensitive than hers would ever be.

Lucy was tempted to spark conversation but thought better of it and so she sat quietly waiting for the dragonslayer to speak up. Her patience was rewarded a few moments later when he broke the calm silence.

"I like to watch the sunrise when I get a chance. Igneel used to always say the sun rising meant that hope was filling us up again. I laughed at it back then, but ever since he left, I'd watch the sun hoping that with this sunrise I'd find him. I couldn't tell you how many sunrises I've seen, but no matter how similar they seem, they're always different."

Lucy remained quiet, but she had turned to watch the dragonslayer, admiring his beauty as much as she admired the beauty of the sunrise and couldn't help but notice the similarities between him and the rising sun.

"I'm sorry I've been this way the last few days Luce, I'm not trying to hurt you guys. I guess I'm just a little shaken up."

Lucy took this opportunity to try and ease him.

"Yeah, fighting somebody from the future can be kinda intimidating huh?"

She was answered by a shake of the dragonslayer's head as he took her hand in his, causing her face to match his hair.

"No, it's not the fight that has me so shaken up Luce. It's you, I mean future you, but still you. Dammit why does time travel have to be so complicated?!"

Lucy couldn't help but giggle at the small rant, finding some pleasure in knowing that the real Natsu was still in there.

"Watching you, the other you, die. It hurt me...broke me even. What if I can't protect you anymore Luce? What if I can't save you?"

This caused her eyes to widen, did he really care that much about her? That it was bugging him this much?

"What if I'm not strong enough Luce? What if I can't protect any of my friends?"

Lucy's eyes hardened as she took her hand from his grasp and proceeded to slap him, his head snapping to his right from the force.

"Natsu Dragneel I've heard enough! Don't you dare start doubting yourself! Besides it's not your job to protect us! We protect each other right?! Besides how many times have you protected me, saved me, took care of me even. You don't have to protect all of us Natsu and even if you did we all know that you can. Start acting like Natsu Dragneel and not whoever this is."

Natsu's eyes had widened from the slap but widened even more when he turned back to her as she ranted, the tears forming in her eyes.

"Luce I-"

"I don't want to hear it Natsu. Stop doubting yourself, the Natsu I know and love never doubts himself. Where's **that** Natsu?"

Natsu looked down at his lap before looking back to the rising sun.

"I wish I knew."

Lucy breathed a sigh before she grabbed his hand, causing Natsu to slightly blush.

"Then you and I can find him together."

Natsu gave a small nod, one thought ringing through his mind.

" _Is this what Igneel meant by being in love with somebody? Is this how it feels?"_

 _***Meanwhile - Ancient Graveyard Ruins***_

They had been waiting for what felt like hours and both Jordan and Espen were growing impatient, albeit Jordan had already crossed that threshold hours ago but now so had Espen. Tool had gone to work deciphering the glyphs they discovered, effectively resulting in both Jordan and Espen watching her decipher the glyphs on doors to the Mausoleum and waiting for her to give an answer It was finally here that their prayers were answered when she finally sighed and stood up.

Jordan, of course, was the first to round on her.

"Well, what did you find out?"

Tool turned her eyes to Espen to ensure that he was paying attention before she began to speak.

"The glyphs are a bit of a riddle, the only way you'll be able to get in, of course, is to solve the riddle."

It was Espen who spoke over the audible scoff emitted by Jordan. "Tell me, what is this riddle?"

"The only way to reach this power, first requires the blood of a dragon's son, it is for them that we will open and to no other. To absorb this power, you must have that which all men crave. To wield this power you must use the symbol of the union of one. To perform these acts, first you must wait to view darkness' light. Only after will you have that which you have come for."

Espen then put his hand under his chin after hearing these words as all three became silent, deep in thought.

Then Espen's eyes lit up, excitement filling them.

"I think I know where to find a dragon's son."

 _***Meanwhile - Northwestern Fiore - 1,020 km from the coast***_

His black eyes gazed in the sun, feeling the same urge he had every morning over the last 400 years. To shroud that light in darkness and for the world to bathe in that darkness. Yet, he himself wanted that darkness to be just for him, and he knew that Natsu would have to be the one to plunge him into it.

"Despair, that's the only way you'll be able to kill me Natsu. Feel despair, and break away from everyone."

Zeref heard leaves rustling nearby that he knew to be uncharacteristic and so he turned to find himself face to face with a hooded figure.

"The Mighty Black Wizard Zeref, what an honor it is to see you."

Zeref's eyes hardened.

"I will kill you if you do not tell me what you want."

"I want you to come with me, or rather, my master would like to speak with you. He says it has been a while since you two last met."

"Oh? Who is your master?

The hooded man raised a hand, an emerald magic circle appearing in it.

"I was asked to not divulge such information and to take you by force if necessary."

Zeref then gave a small smile. He then stretched his hands out to their respective sides, palms facing the newcomer.

"In that case, I invite you to die."

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A/N: Again, sorry it took so freaking long, I really didn't mean for it to take so long, but I had a couple instances where I had a page or two typed, stepped back, looked at it a couple times, then deleted a few pages and started back over. I hope you have all enjoyed and will check out my crossover between Fairy Tail and Naruto which is getting ready to kick into high gear. This story I'm still going to bring along slowly and I know it can be boring for you guys but I really want to take my time with this to build it up and make it that much more enjoyable for you guys to travel on this journey with me. Until next time, this is The 85th Naruto sayin' see ya!

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 _Next Time: Revelation_


	3. Revelation

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or it's surrounding universe. All characters, plots, themes, and ideas belong to Hiro Mashima, the creator.

A/N: "Speech" - " _Thought"_ \- " _Spells_ " - **Normal Emphasis** \- " _ **Thought Emphasis**_ "

Hey guys, long time no see. Sorry for the long update, becoming single after 3.5 years of a relationship and planning asking a woman to marry you can do some serious damage. I'm back on my feet and am in a really great place to be honest so I thank all of you for your support. As promised, here's the next chapter. As usual some spots took longer than others but I hope you all enjoy and as always, please R&R.

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" _Father and son, this is a bond that is meant to stand the test of time. Silent, yet strong. Not all bonds last for the waves of pain can ruin even the strongest of bonds_

 _-Anonymous_

* * *

 _Episode 3: Revelation_

 _Season 1: Tears of Fire_

 _Series: The Burning Stars_

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 _***Northwestern Fiore - 1,020 km from the coast***_

"In that case, I invite you to die."

The hooded individual chuckled at the response as the emerald magic circle began to glow.

"I was sorely hoping to get this go the easy way. But if you want this to go the hard way, then I guess I'll have to expend all this energy just to get you to cooperate. But if this is the way you wish it to be then very well."

In that moment, a bolt of emerald green flashed through the air, aiming straight the for the dark wizard's face. In the last moment, a black wave exploded around the target, forcing the magical bolt to bounce off the magic, sending the bolt skywards, an emerald firework sailing through the skies.

"Your power is as impressive as my master described. Unfortunately, it would appear that despite your age, you know nothing of my magic."

Zeref cocked an eyebrow ever so slightly at that remark.

"Was that spell not meant to harm me?"

In that moment, the bolt split into a dozen miniature emerald bolts, which all scattered and came rocketing back towards the dark wizard, striking at the man's body from a multitude of directions.

Zeref's body jerked with each bolt that assaulted him before collapsing, unconscious.

"I guess I don't have to cast the second spell after all. I was certain that Zeref would have been aware enough to deflect those."

In that moment a miniature magic circle that had formed at the index finger of his left hand disappeared, the preparation of a second spell fading. In that moment, the hooded man walked towards the fallen Zeref, grabbing him by the collar of his robes. Lifting him off his chest and draping him over the back of his shoulder, as if he were a sack of laundry.

"Master Derik is eager to be reunited with you."

 _***July 20th - Magnolia - 5:00 A.M.***_

He walked away from his house, heading towards a clearing nearby that he knew to exist, for it was one he had created. It had been a few days since she had given him an earful and promised to help him feel better about everything.

For that he was thankful, but couldn't help but feel like he still had to train, not quite trusting his own power yet. He was lucky he had convinced his friends to allow him to return to his own home, much to Lucy's pleasure at getting everybody out of her apartment. Lucy loved her friends, but she just didn't have the space to house all of them.

 _***Flashback***_

 _He had felt like it was time for him to return to his own home and his own space. Lucy had happily agreed with those thoughts, not quite certain about Natsu but also eager to have her apartment to herself again._

 _Natsu had hoped they would let him off the hook and everybody could go about their normal routine, it was unfortunate for Natsu when Erza announced that they would all be moving in with the dragonslayer. Needless to say, Gray and Natsu were not pleased with these arrangements, getting into a fight over the state of Natsu's house._

" _Yo dragonbreath why don't you take better care of your house?"_

 _Natsu's forehead slammed into Gray's, shouting as he did, "I'll start taking better care of it once you decide to stop stripping every 5 minutes ice cube!"_

" _You lookin' for a fight ya stupid pyro?!"_

" _Sure, I was looking for a new popsicle stick to burn!"_

 _The usual fight between the two broke out as Gray took a step back before tackling the fire dragonslayer, sending them both to the ground where punches and kicks began to fly. Usually Erza would have stopped them before ever reaching this point, but she felt that maybe Natsu needed this considering the way he had been acting over the course of the past few days. Finally, Lucy was the one to break it up, saying that the longer it took for Natsu to help them clean the longer he would have to wait before eating._

 _This immediately caused Natsu to hit Gray hard enough to send him skidding across the floor. Natsu stood upright and at attention, awaiting instruction. It took them at least four hours, even for the team, though it didn't help that Erza, Lucy, and Gray would reprimand the dragonslayer for the mess every few minutes._

 _They had finally gotten the trash and kitchen cleaned, Natsu was striding towards his hammock, preparing to settle in for a nap, when a series of swords flashed through the air above the hammock, slicing it to shreds and embedding themselves into the floor._

 _Natsu's eyes widened at his once beloved hammock before rounding the weapons mistress._

" _Erza! What the hell was that for?! I used to sleep in that!"_

" _Precisely, we're getting a real bed in here, one for all of us and Natsu you're going to pay for them."_

 _The dragonslayer stood there slack-jawed, mouth agape. This took another three hours, especially due to Lucy's insistence on a bed of her preference. Unfortunately, Natsu could only afford four, so he was pleased to be able to get a hammock in his possession once again. Some supply shopping ensued, stating that Natsu had little to nothing, further irking the dragonslayer. Three hours later, after Natsu had been allowed to eat, everything had been mostly settled. Somehow a larger bed had been sent in place of Lucy's and there was no hammock to be found for Natsu._

 _Natsu had been furious but Erza brushed it off saying that Lucy and Natsu would just have to share. Suddenly Natsu stopped his fit, secretly enjoying such an idea, but not quite entirely sure as to why._

 _Lucy, on the other hand, broke out into a blush and started arguing with Erza. Lucy dragged her outside to argue with her, away from prying eyes and ears while the others just shrugged it off and went about setting everything up._

 _Shortly after, a blushing Lucy entered the small house once again, but she was no longer throwing a fit. She merely told to Natsu to keep to his side and to not bother her while she slept, threatening to kick him out if he did. Natsu had allowed the retort of it being his home to die on his tongue when she gave him a glare that rivaled Erza's._

 _Needless to say, the brash dragonslayer behaved himself._

 _***End Flashback***_

Natsu couldn't help but smile as he entered into the clearing, remember those events fondly. Even if it bugged him that they felt they had to keep watch over him all the time. If Natsu was honest, he would have tried to compromise and just have Lucy and Happy around, not the entire team. Though to be fair, Natsu was somewhat grateful that they had covered for him to Gramps. The last thing Natsu wanted was to receive another lecture, even if it was out of love.

During the course of those three days, Lucy had gotten Natsu away from everyone, keeping her promise to help him. Most of the time they walked around Magnolia, doing different things here and there, all of which caused Natsu to feel better and lighter. Though it was only a brief respite from his inner turmoil.

Every night Natsu was plagued by the same nightmare, as if it was the same movie every night. Natsu counted himself lucky that these nightmares seemingly hadn't disturbed the celestial wizard, he really didn't want her to know that this nightmare seemed to drag him back into his despair. It was for that reason, and his desperate urge to protect Lucy at all costs, that he now stood in the clearing.

Natsu knew he had to get stronger, had to keep training. Protecting Lucy was all that mattered, he just wished he could figure out why he desperately wanted to protect her. He knew that he loved her, of that he was certain.

Natsu wasn't completely stupid, he had learned a lot about love and that there was loving somebody and being **in** love with somebody. He didn't, however, know what the difference between the two was and how that pertained to his blonde teammate.

Natsu shook his head, cursing mentally. This always happened when he came out here, every morning at 5:00 A.M. since he had returned to his home. He was lucky nobody had figured out his morning routine yet, particularly the woman he shared a bed with, which caused him to blush and begin to return to his musings. Her skin, her hair, her eyes, her scent, her voice….

Again Natsu physically shook his head, this time with more aggression. He always had a problem of staying on topic but whenever he thought of Lucy it would just get worse. So again he thought of his desire to protect her. It had become tradition where he would try to discern his feelings before forcing himself back to reality so that he could train.

With that determination back in his mind, fire sprang to his fists, igniting them. Just as his desire and determination was ignited by the one thought that seemed to drive him whenever he went on a mission with her or when things turned south.

" _I'll protect Lucy, no matter what!"_

 _***Ancient Graveyard Ruins, 10:00 A.M.***_

"So let me get this straight, you want us to go and get a dragon slayer? You do realize that Lahar can't just remove Cobra with no reason, and even if he could the Magic Council would get suspicious and then we'd have to deal with those pricks."

Espen breathed a sigh, "We've been covering this for the past few days Tool. We are all aware that a dragon's son could only mean a dragonslayer thus a male one at that, correct?"

After receiving a nod from the two Espen continued.

"We can't use Cobra given the recent issues and questions it would raise, not to mention the threat of the Magic Council getting involved. Lahar is having enough trouble as it is keeping the council away now, so we'd be best to go and capture a dragonslayer of our own. We are in agreement to that as well I hope?"

Again another nod from the two, despite a muttered comment from Jordan as to how difficult this was becoming for them.

That being said, I would think it would do us well to use a dragonslayer of immense power just to be certain. Given that we don't know many dragonslayers we'll have to go after the more popular ones. I've given it some thought and I'm afraid I have to make a slight alteration to our plans. I recommend we go to Sabertooth and take both dragonslayers."

Jordan and Tool both felt their eyes widen, " **BOTH**?!"

Espen continued, ignoring the outburst. "And should they not meet the demands for us to obtain this power then we will go on to Fairy Tail and take their dragonslayers. We will do what we have to so that I can save my wife."

Tool gave a sigh, "This is probably the craziest thing I have ever heard. I was fine with just the one, that's easy enough to manage, but now….Not only are we trying to kidnap two dragonslayers, who happen to be incredibly powerful, but we could end up taking on two of the strongest guilds."

Espen gave a nod, "Indeed, it is an extreme measure. But I know this measure is well worth it so long as we don't kill them. They should not have to die just for the sake of obtaining power."

Those words hung in the air for a few moments before Jordan spoke, his words sending a chill down the spines of both Tool and Espen, the man's magenta eyes gleaming as he spoke.

"But for your wife, would you be willing to kill? Not just one but all of those dragonslayers?"

Espen sighed, processing what Jordan was saying, his dark eyes shining with determination in the early hours.

"If it is for my wife, I will purge the world."

 _***Meanwhile - 100 km from the border of Pergrande and Sin***_

Obsidian eyes opened, to trees surrounding him, passing him by in the opposite direction as he was being carried with his back facing the direction he was moving in. The bottom of his feet scraped against the ground as he was being carried, the man doing the carrying not much taller than Zeref, himself.

Zeref tried to force a burst of magic but unfortunately found that he was unable to do so. In attempting to send out a burst of magic, Zeref was not unable to refrain from moving.

"Ah, welcome back to the conscious world Zeref. As you can see you are unable to use magic, courtesy of my other magic."

Zeref furrowed his brow, his mind working at full capacity as he he shook off the grogginess.

"Your other magic?"

The man carrying the black wizard chuckled, "You're rather talkative aren't you? Quite unlike you from what I've heard."

Zeref grit his teeth, focusing his mind on using his own magic power but finding it impossible to do so.

"Now now, I already told you that you can't use your magic. Trying would be like to catch air in your bare hands. Besides, we will be visited shortly by somebody who is eager to see you."

The man then dropped Zeref, who stumbled slightly as he had not been expecting to be dropped to his feet. From there he turned around to face the robed figure and stare at the small clearing around him, shielded by a copse of trees.

Zeref assumed the area to be at least 15 meters in diameter, the sound of insects permeated through the air and Zeref knew they were a good ways away from civilization.

Zeref was about to turn to his capturer and demand information from him, when in that moment, a figure entered into the clearing, black cloak about him and the hood high over his head, shielding his face.

"Ah, Zeref. How good to see you again. You look well considering your age."

Zeref spun round to face the newcomer, his dark eyes narrowing.

"Who are you? Why do you want me around? I only cause death and destruction."

The robed newcomer reached his hands up to grab the edges of the fabric, that was his hood, and he pulled it back to drop behind him, resting against the back of his shoulders to reveal faded pink hair and a wicked grin.

"That's the idea, my son."

 _***Meanwhile - Fairy Tail Guildhall***_

Shortly after Natsu had returned from his training session, he had been met by the groggy faces of his comrades, despite being cheerful. Lucy, though, had glared at Natsu thus forcing the fire dragonslayer to recommend that they get breakfast at the guild rushing out the door as he did so before anyone could offer an argument.

Breakfast had gone smoothly enough, though Lucy had rounded on Natsu as soon as the others left to their other friends, demanding to know what the problem was.

Natsu, for a reason he could not as yet explain, leapt up and threw a chair at Gray, causing the peaceful, although loud, morning in the guild to break out into its usual ruckus. Lucy bit her lip at this, feeling hurt by Natsu's sudden evasiveness, especially after their talks over the past few days.

 _***Flashback***_

 _The two had enjoyed their day out and about, stopping at Lucy's apartment so that she could pick up a couple of things so that she could read during her stay at Natsu's house. As they walked they talked and laughed, as if nothing had changed with the conflicted dragonslayer._

 _As had become custom of the two on these daily trips they would always stop at Southgate Park on their way back to Natsu's home, pausing to observe the sunset and it was here where their talks would always become serious and Lucy would typically try to get Natsu to open up. Normally Natsu would be uncooperative and even put up a fight, but with Lucy it was different. When these talks happened Natsu would be hesitant at first but would quickly end up telling her a few concerns or fears and she would reassure him._

 _It was the third time that they had stopped to talk, sitting on a bench and observing the sunset as well as the families that passed them by. Lucy decided this time she would let Natsu begin conversation, hoping that the dragonslayer felt more than comfortable now to do so._

" _Lucy, I promise, to start opening up to you more. To stop being afraid. No matter what happens I'll protect you. I'll always be watching over you Luce, I promise."_

 _Initially Lucy blushed, feeling her heart flutter at the remark before hiding it with a slight jab at the dragonslayer._

" _D-don't just say things like that you idiot. Besides you stole that from the Master."_

 _Natsu just chuckled, scratching his cheek as he did so. That same cocky grin plastered on his face._

" _Maybe, but I still mean it Luce. It's a promise. "_

 _Lucy felt more love for the dragonslayer than ever and Natsu sat watching the sunset. Contemplating his own feelings and reviewing some of these lessons that Igneel had taught him regarding love._

 _No more words were spoken that day._

 _***End Flashback***_

She knew it was selfish to feel betrayed but she couldn't help it. Natsu had promised her and now he was practically avoiding her. Her eyes began to glisten and she leaned her face into the back of her hands, trying to hide them. When she discovered that she couldn't stop them she leapt from her seat and made a mad dash for the doors to the guild.

Natsu may not have heard or seen it, given the distraction of the brawl in the guild amongst his friends, but he definitely smelled the distinct saltiness of Lucy's tears. At that point he mentally kicked himself as he saw her flee the building. Without hesitancy, Natsu abandoned his fight with his guildmates, chasing after his blonde partner.

He didn't know how, but somehow he knew - no he felt - that this was his fault. The last few days he had been trying to keep her and himself from crying, and now he had gone and made her cry. He was angry with himself, as he sprinted on to the streets, his pink spikes whipping around as he tried to catch a glimpse of the woman.

He was lucky to spot her blonde hair and catch a whiff of her scent as she tore down a street leading towards Southgate Park.

"Lucy!"

She didn't respond, only running away. Natsu cursed as he chased after her, knowing that he'd be able to catch up with her in a few minutes. He shoved and pushed through passersby on the street, never allowing his eyes to stray from the fleeing blonde.

Natsu continued to close ground as Lucy continued to run as fast as she could, leaving a trail of tears. In the span of 6 minutes Natsu was finally about a meter and a half away from his blonde friend. Natsu gave himself one last surge, using his legs to launch himself forward to be less than a meter behind Lucy and to her right.

Natsu then swept his left hand down low and out wide to his left, pushing Lucy's legs in and forcing her legs to swing out to her own left. She squealed as she pitched to her right, falling into the open arms of Natsu, who, after gripping her shoulders and legs, his right arm supporting her at the back of her neck, hugging her close around the shoulders, while his left hand gripper the outside of her right thigh as she had twisted in her fall to be able to look up into the face of the concerned dragonslayer.

"Natsu…." she gasped out as she struggled to catch her breath, her eyes red and tear stained.

Natsu didn't glance at her now that she was in his arms, looking ahead to once again avoid hurting her as he weaved.

"Sorry 'bout that Luce, I kept calling for ya but it seemed like you couldn't hear me. I figured this was the best way to get your attention. I'll get ya someplace we can talk in private alright?"

Lucy could do nothing more than nod as she buried her head into Natsu's chest trying to hide her blush and hoping that the dragonslayer didn't notice.

Natsu continued to run, weaving through the crowds, before he leapt down to to land beside the same bench that he and Lucy had sat on just a few days ago. Upon landing he gently set Lucy on the bench, before sitting beside her.

"Lucy….I…." he couldn't bring himself to look at her, didn't even know where to begin.

Fortunately for him, he didn't have to as the pain that he had caused Lucy, while it had been momentarily forgotten came rushing back on the woman before she realized it. She turned to face her love, tears once again staining her cheeks.

"Why Natsu? Why won't you tell me what's wrong? I want to help you! Why won't you let me?!"

It was at this point that the pain became too much for her to bear and so she wept, hugging herself as she did. She had learned as a small child that she shouldn't cry, women didn't cry, they smiled. Yet during her stay at Fairy Tail she couldn't help but cry, and something about Natsu seemed to amplify those feelings.

Her eyes widened as a second pair of arms wrapped around her and she was embraced with warmth, the warmth that she had come to rely on, to want all the time. She may not have admitted it openly yet, but she loved it when he hugged her, held her just like this. His warm breath against her neck made her shudder involuntarily.

"Luce, I'm so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you, I wanted to protect you. But if this is hurting you I'll stop, I promise."

Lucy could only nod as she leaned against his chest as Natsu began to explain his nightmare to her. Thankful that she didn't look up to see his rosy cheeks, the remains of a blush as he held her close.

" _Lucy….I think I…."_

 _***Meanwhile - 100 km from the border of Pergrande and Sin***_

His eyes widened, it just couldn't be possible. This man, he just couldn't be what he claimed he was. Zeref's features hardened into a glare, this man could not be his possible. He was gone, dead. He knew because Zeref had seen it and yet, here was a man who looked identical to the father of Zeref.

"I'm sure you have some questions my son, but surely you won't strike out against your father would you? You and I have a great deal of catching up to do."

The man kept his sickening grin that began to annoy the black wizard.

"What is it that you want from me father? How is it that you're alive?"

The man's smile grew even more sinister. "If you desire those answers my son then you would be wise to follow me."

With that the man turned on his heel and strode back in the direction from whence he came. Zeref's eyes bounced from side to side, taking in his surroundings in order to discern his options. Zeref stumbled forward from the force of the shove that came from behind him of the other man.

"Just move, Master Derik won't really let you walk away you know."

Zeref growled but followed Derik regardless, albeit with an air of reluctance about him. He didn't know why he was here, and Zeref certainly despised not having all of the answers, but for now he knew he would have to play along to get those answers.

What other choice did he have?

 _***July 25th - 10 km from Sabertooth***_

Tool had tried to convince the necessity for backup, but both Jordan and Espen were adamant in their lack of desire for any aid. She had no doubt regarding the strengths of either of them, for they were indeed some of the toughest in their guild but still, they were pursuing two dragonslayers from one of the strongest guilds in all of Fiore. Sure Minerva had fled the guild and one of the dragonslayers was the new guild master but that didn't make this any easier for the group.

They had placed several defensive runes and traps around the mausoleum to prevent their possession being taken. They then had set out north immediately from the Ancient Ruins, making their way towards Sabertooth. It took them longer than they normally would have but they chose to skirt around Peace Village, using the rides that Tool had crafted for just such an occasion, despite the toll it took on her magic power.

It was for that reason that the last day of their journey had been taken on foot and now here they were, approaching the entrance to the Sabertooth guild hall. Tool could not help the anxiety that washed over her and was thankful for the welding mask that hid her features from both Espen and Jordan.

It took them about another 20 minutes before they found themselves face to face with the doors that led to the Sabertooth guild hall. Jordan and Espen shared a look before nodding to each other and striding throwing the doors wide open, striding in as they did so.

Tool never liked things like this, and all the eyes that were now upon her and her group made her even more antsy even though she was bringing up the rear in this band.

In that moment a blonde man approached them, a grin splayed across his features. A scar above his right eye and a white Sabertooth guild mark stamped to his left shoulder. His white jacket was open and sleeveless exposing his toned muscles with his arms protected by the brown gloves that reached his mid-bicep.

"Hey there, welcome to Sabertooth! You guys look like you've been on the road for a while. What brings ya here?"

Once again Espen and Jordan shared a glance and another nod before turning back to address Sting. It was Jordan who chose to answer that question.

"This," as he spoke he raised his left hand high above his head, palm facing the ceiling. As he did a large, violet magic circle appeared in the air, covering a large amount of space within the guild. In that moment there was a flash of purple light that filled the entirety of the guild resulting in screams and shouts from the Sabertooth members.

Sting was the first to react, but not in the way that would have been expected. His hands shot to his face, his palms being placed over his eyes.

"Dammit! What the hell happened?! Why can't I see?!"

Jordan simply gave a small smile. "That would be one of my own special tricks. You see, unlike you wizards who specialize in a particular brand of magic, I find it far more useful, given my unusual magical nature, to accumulate a variety of spells. This was a type of Sensory Magic. _Sensory Magic: Blinding Despair_. You should all begin succumbing to the pain shortly."

True to his word, many of the guild members, including Orga and Rufus, collapsed, completely caught off guard by the spell. Yukino too succumbed, falling into the realm of unconsciousness, while Rogue had collapsed to one knee. Sting remained on his feet albeit appearing somewhat haggard and stumbling.

"You guys made a big mistake, coming here and hurting my friends. I'm the guild master of Sabertooth and a dragonslayer, I don't need see you to beat you."

As he spoke his hands returned to their respective sides, revealing his eyes to be closed, white light enveloping them as his fingers curled into tight fists.

"I'm gonna make you pay!"

With that Sting rushed them, his right hand pulling back before being shot forward in a right hook that Jordan ducked past. He was unprepared though when Sting's left fist shot straight forward, connecting with Jordan's abdomen, causing him to stumble away from the White Dragonslayer.

Sting didn't see, but heard the approach of Espen. Sting turned to his left, not sure what was happening but covered his arms in front of his face just as a hard punch connected with the block. Sting felt himself take a step back from the force of the blow before a second punch met his abdomen, sending Sting into the air as he gasped for breath.

" _Damn it. Who are these guys?"_

In that moment Jordan appeared through what seemed to be a kind of portal directly behind the oncoming Sting. Jordan did a small flip forward, allowing his heel to come down in an axe kick that connected with the dragonslayers back, sending him to the floor as he cried out from the blow.

" _Shadow Dragon's Roar_!"

A large beam of blackness streaked through the air, catching Jordan who had been mid-air, blasting him through the sky and crashing through the wall of the guild and into the outdoors of nature.

Espen turned towards the other dragonslayer, speaking as he did so. "Ah yes, our other target. I wondered when you would decide to try to stop us."

With that, Espen curled the fingers of his right hand in with the exception of his index and middle finger, a blue light appearing at those finger tips. He then flashed those two fingers through the air in a form of pattern, drawing a magic circle through the air.

"I'm sure you're familiar with runes and script magic, this though was taught to me from a young age. _Sign Magic: Desolation_!"

With that a small orb shot out from the magic circle at unfathomable speeds, Rogue leapt high into the air the orb passing below him and colliding with the table that he had been standing in front of, causing a burst from the orb, the table shattering from the impact. Rogue was unable to counter though as a second orb shot through the air, catching him in the chest forcing him to shout as the orb exploded upon impact, sending Rogue backwards and to the ground where he bounced and rolled to a stop just in front of the bar.

He then tried to bring himself to climb back to his feet, but the pain from the previous spell that had been cast by Jordan combined with the effects of this spell made it difficult.

"You're probably wondering why is it that you cannot stand. You see, that spell is designed to not only inflict damage, but weaken the connection between your mind and body. The pain that you have experienced further weakens that bond. You and your guild master now belong to me and my guild."

With that Rogue drifted into unconsciousness, but Sting had not.

" _Dragon Slayer Secret Art: White Dragon's Holy Nova_!"

Espen turned just in time to see the dragonslayer's right fist pulled back and completely covered in a sphere of white magic. A steel wall appeared between the two as the punch connected with the wall, resulting in it shattering as the dragonslayer crashed through. A large mechanical fist came down, crushing the dragonslayer to the floor and forcing the floor to crack and splinter, broken boards flying everywhere.

Espen turned to look at Tool who stood there with her hands out, controlling the arm.

"Your Construction Magic never fails to impress Tool."

"Shut up and let's go before anyone shows up to cause trouble."

Espen nodded as he took in the scene around him, the destruction he had caused for the sake of capturing two dragonslayers. He was thankful that it was minimal and nobody had been killed.

"I'll place the magic circles on them and we can leave."

In that moment Jordan reappeared, to which Espen raised an eyebrow.

"Where did you go? Surely that attack was not able to do any severe damage."

Jordan shook his head. "No, I took advantage to contact Lahar and inform him of these events. He said he won't be able to keep the council from investigating but he swore to deter them to others."

Espen nodded, accepting this information as he turned his eyes past Jordan and out to the horizon.

" _Soon I will have the power to save you, my beloved."_

 _***Meanwhile - Magnolia, Southgate Park***_

He had been afraid of this. Sure he told her what she wanted to hear, the truth, but that didn't make Natsu feel any better. Especially since she began crying again which Natsu dealt with by holding her until she regained her composure.

They had sat this way for a few minutes before Lucy finally pulled back and wiped at her eyes furiously. Natsu sat back and simply watched, allowing her to recollect. The silence that followed, though, was agonizing to the dragonslayer.

"Luce I-"

The slap that struck Natsu was so loud in Natsu's mind that he swore all of Fiore heard it.

"You idiot! Why didn't you tell me?! You promised Natsu! You promised me! Don't you get that I'm in love with you! All of this and your stupid ideas of protecting everyone are hurting me. I'm protecting you from now on!"

Natsu's eyes at those words, his mind reeling trying to piece it all together. It was here that he finally remembered, whether due to the speech or the slap he was unsure but he finally remembered.

 _***Flashback***_

" _Natsu, when you find the one you want to be with, she will be considered your mate. As a human you do not need to worry about the mating that us dragons must endure. But, you will know that she is your mate and that you are in love by a fierce desire to protect her. To defend her at all costs. You will seek her attention, her gaze, her reassurances. You will wish to be in her presence at all times. And you will know, because when she speaks with other men you will become consumed with rage."_

 _***End Flashback***_

"Luce, I'll fix this. I'll keep my promise because I….I won't hurt you anymore. I hate seeing you hurt Luce. Let's fix this together."

Lucy watched, the tears returning to her eyes, her heart feeling warm at those words, but how she wished he would have told her that he loved her. She knew the cat was out of the bag, but she didn't care. She was too stubborn to move on and knew it would take some time to get Natsu to understand.

She nodded, "Yeah, together. But you're gonna have to do better than that to make it up to me."

Her heart fluttered at the grin on his face. "Don't worry Luce. I promise when I make it up to you, you'll love it."

" _Sorry Luce, I can't tell you how I really feel. Now that I know, I have to earn it. I haven't earned your love over these past few days, but I promise once I have I'll be the one to tell you."_

Natsu watched the blonde, memorizing her features and gazing into her chocolate coloured eyes.

" _Please Lucy, wait for me."_

* * *

Here we go guys, Episode 3. I played with the idea of Natsu confessing here, but I felt it was too soon so I decided to put it off for a few more chapters. Cheesy but climactic. The mystery I hope is keeping you guys thrilled and I hope that you guys enjoyed the action in this chapter. It's gonna pick up as we go. Again, sorry for the long update. When you become single after being in a relationship for 3.5 years it can send you spinning. I'm in a great place though and looking forward to the getting to work for you guys so please bear with me.

As a reminder, the next story to be updated will be _World of Fire_ and then back to this as I work on the midseason special for _The Era of the Sixth_.

As always, R&R for me and PM me with any questions, thoughts, concerns, suggestions, or ideas. This is The 85th Naruto sayin' see ya!

* * *

 _Next Time: Failure_


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